Charity care in North Carolina
The NC Health Care Coalition, part of the NC Justice Center, released a report today on charity care in the state’s hospitals. The executive summary is at http://www.ncjustice.org/?q=node/446, and that page has a link to the full report.
In fiscal year 2008, the state’s hospitals provided almost $700 million in free care.
That’s good news for our statye, which is particularly hard-hit by the recession. The unemployment rate is still over 10 percent, and many, many unemployed people lost their health insurance with their jobs.
“Because the state has shed thousands of jobs, North Carolina had the nation’s largest jump in the percentage of the population without insurance from 2007 to 2009. According to one estimate the recession has increased the number of uninsured in North Carolina to nearly 1.8 million,” the report says.
The report calls on the state’s 112 hospitals to post comprehensive charity care policies online — 39 hospitals already to, and 72 hospitals in all post some information.
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“An examination of posted charity care policies shows that financial assistance programs vary widely across he state,” the report says. “We can see that Winston-Salem- and Charlotte-based Novant Health has the most sound and clear policy of any hospital system in North Carolina. At Novant any uninsured patient with an income less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level, or $66,150 for a family of four, qualifies for a 100 percent discount on hospital bills. This policy recognizes the realities of modern family finances.”
But, the report says, no hospital should put isself in danger of bankruptcy with its policies.
In other words, hopsitals are doing a lot to get care to people who need it, but the need is too great for hospitals to do it all.
We need reform and we need it now.
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a peer support program for people with one or more serious or chronic medical issues or disabilities.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions.
Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
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